Bird & Nature Blog

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The Missing Link

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I have been able to be outside a lot — walking the neighborhood and fishing close to home. Folks are careful and friendly in the neighborhood. Lots of new tricycles, puppies, training wheels, and princess outfits. Folks are paying close attention to otherwise ordinary things. Jeff, my neighbor, loves birds so I wasn't surprised to find him stalking through his backyard with a camera. He was trying to photo the catbird at his feeder. He said it was the biggest, fattest catbird he had ever seen. I saw it the next day and Jeff is right. What is Jeff putting in that feeder?

Photo by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

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Bird With Me! A Virtual Field Trip at Cherokee North

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Are you missing field trips as much as I am? When you are a new birder like myself, field trips and group bird walks are like gold. You can absorb so much from experienced birders that share tips and advice they’ve accumulated over many years of birding. Nothing quite compares to having someone ID a tricky bird song in the field or point out a field mark that you can recognize right then and there.

I can’t promise you all the joys of a real field trip here on the Entryway to Birding blog, but I’ll do my best! I am not nearly as experienced as Madison Audubon’s many other field trip leaders, but I hope the little bit of direction that I can share will help open your eyes to a few birds that you may not have noticed before.

So where are we off to? Last week, I wrote about my experience birding at Cherokee Marsh for our office’s relay-style participation in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. This week, I’m heading back to the marsh … and I’m taking you with me!

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

The Passing of Howard "Stan" Druckenmiller

January 6, 1945 ~ May 4, 2020 (age 75)

Stan was a very good friend. We enjoyed working for him at DNR when he was the Director for the Bureau of Endangered Resources. His work greatly helped protect our natural environment and provided thousands of acres for public use. We also were fortunate to work with Stan at Madison Audubon. Stan served as the Board President and assisted us in testifying against the Arlington ethanol plant. We will always remember all the years that Stan and Jeannie coordinated the silent auction at the Madison Audubon Art Fair.

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A Beginner's First Birdathon

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This past Tuesday, the Madison Audubon office staff participated in the Natural Resources Foundation’s Great Wisconsin Birdathon, a walk-a-thon-style fundraiser where the goal is not about the miles you walk, but the number of bird species you can spot in a single day of your choosing.

The Great Wisconsin Birdathon is the largest fundraiser for bird conservation in Wisconsin and a yearly event that unites bird-loving folks all across the state. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that birdathon-ing may look quite different this year, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of connection. In fact, the Natural Resources Foundation is encouraging you to connect more than ever—to connect with the birds you may not have noticed before, to connect with local landscapes that may prove unexpectedly full of life, and to connect (safely, distantly, virtually) with family and friends as you bring awareness to Wisconsin’s birds.

In this week’s Entryway to Birding blog, I’m going to tell you about our staff’s Birdathon day, which was also my first time participating in the Great Wisconsin Birdathon. I’ll share my experience of connection and give you some pointers about how you might plan your own Birdathon day too!

Photo by Caitlyn Schuchhardt

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The Eyes (and Ears) Have It

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A couple of weeks ago I was walking into a trout stream (here I go again) when I spotted an odd splotch of brown, white, and black on the opposite bank. I could not make it out — a dead raccoon? a sleeping badger? Neither seemed quite right and the latter sort of ridiculous. Later as I had worked back to that bank, I had my answer when a goose erupted off her nest. I had not known that geese flatten themselves on a nest when they feel threatened. Within the next week or so on two different streams I saw the same phenomena. In both cases, though, I instantly recognized what I was seeing.

Photo by Arlene Koziol